The Tuesday Chattery - What Phone Do You Use? Would You Recommend It?

Mawnin' All!

It's been a little while since we had a chat last and this question has come up several times in conversations and in messages so I thought I'd fling it open to the floor. 

What phone do you use? 

I'm using and LOVING the Sony Xperia Z1, have been for about 18 months now (the longest I've ever used one handset) and can't see foresee myself (touch wood) changing it anytime soon. Yep, it's an Android and, nope, I wouldn't have it any other way. Pictures are crystal clear, video is sharp and it does exactly as I want it to, when I want it to - so why change? 

Several times I've been asked would I recommend it and I would, without hesitation, when asked for an alternative though, I become unstuck. I've owned and loved all manner of phones, the HTC One stands out but 18 months is a lifetime in mobile phone evolution so help me out here: 

What phone do you use? Do you love it? Why is that? 

Let's Chat!

Monday's Moments: 29/09/14

Morning All, doesn't it feel good to be alive today? Pishahh I say to that 'Oh God, it's Monday' BS - yes, it's Monday, that means a new week, a fresh start, and another chance to be grateful for the little things that make you laugh or better your life. It really is the little things, peeps. My top five Moments go thusly: 

1. The Lovely Marissa Carter Recording One of My Beauty Tips For Expose 

2. Spending 2 Days On Stunning Lusty Beg Island with One of My Besties, Making New Pals 

Courtesy of RDC

3. Realising on That Trip That The PR I've Been Chatting With All Month is 

a Long Lost Childhood Pal! 

4. Posting This Lovely Nails/Starbucks/Leopard Print/Rose Gold Watch Pic & 

Adam Sending a Txt to Say 

'So BASIC it hurts' 

5. There Being Such A Huge Turn Out At

Saturday's March For Choice That I Couldn't Even Find My Pals!

So, enough of bemoaning the fact it's a Monday, tell us, what's one thing that went right for you this week? One thing that makes you a little more grateful for today? 

It's cathartic, I swear!

Things That Rustle My Jimmies

Following the fab new movie 'What We Did On Our Holiday', I've found a little zen this week. I've deigned to allow ridiculous people be ridiculous as per Billy Connolly and still, STILL there are jimmies in a state of rustleage - 

1. People That Feel The Need To Share Pics Of 

HUGE Spiders They've Trapped

2. Sam Pepper

3. When Every Second Tweet Is 

How Busy/Tired You Are

4. How One Instagram From A Blogger 

Can Give Me The WANT

(Leading To) 5. Too Much Month 

At The End Of My Money

See? I'm fan dabby dozey once more. 

Tell us, what's been rustling your jimmies this week then? 

Things I'm Trialling ft Aveda, Charlotte Tilbury, Clarins, Gucci, Nails Inc, Paul Costello, Urban Decay & Vichy

It would seem ye're slightly partial to the oul Things I'm Trialling posts. Honestly as a blogger, it's very hard knowing what's going to work and what isn't - seems these posts are so they're goin' NOWHERE. (that's a long winded way of saying thanks very kindly for the support, every one of ye). 

My self taken photos are lacking this week but an overload of work, family, events and freelance features is being blemt. I'm jiggered! We'll be back to normal photography service for next weeks post, ja? 

Without further ado, here's Things I'm Trialling of the week past: 

1. Nails Inc Gel Effect Polish: €18.20 Here

It's not often I'll advocate spending the guts of 20 Eurobux on a polish and, while Nails Inc Gel Effect have been a fave of mine for a while, I still can't do it for these. 

Yep, the opaque in two swipes and shiny for five days formulation is fabulous but so are many, many polishes nowadays for 1/3 of that price. Think Sally Hansen Miracle Gel, or Max Factor Gel Shine Lacquer, you'll be hard pressed not to find the shade you're after with them. 

2. Paul Costelloe Living Fresh Fig Candle: €12 Here

I'm a firm believer that Mr Costelloe is a man that should never be given a microphone, nor a platform to speak publicly again (I'm good with grudges like that) but were he to spend the years of his dotage making candles like these? I'd be AOK with that. 

I was genuinely, out loud WTF, shocked when I saw the weenchy price point on these candles as they are, hand on heart, the most beautiful I've ever owned. I'm a fiend for fig scents at the best of times but these heavy tumbler style candles with their luxurious scent have fast become my favourites. Should the others in his collection be of a similar quality, I'll be buying 'em. Every. Single. One. 

3.Gucci Premiere Shower Gel: €35.77 Here

Woody, musky and unmistakably Gucci, this Premiere shower gel is a little touch of luxury that I'd happily indulge in all day long. Not overly lathering, nor overly moisturising on the skin, the ablution shortfalls are more than made up for with the lingering scent. Should you know a lass that likes a masculine scent or should you be that lass, you need to check this one out. 

4. Urban Decay Pulp Fiction Heavy Metal Liner: €19 Here

No, Mia Wallace wasn't wearing sparkle in Pulp Fiction but you know what? She wasn't wearing Urban Decay either. While the rest of the collection didn't quite blow me away, I knew when I saw the newest Heavy Metal glitter liner it would have to be mine. 

See my Gal, Phyrra's on eye swatches & vid here

I've only managed to wear it once this week but when I tell you that, once on the lash line, this densely packed black/silver glitter isn't going anywhere, you best believe me. The ideal pocket rocket to glam up an office to event look, I can see this little beaut getting hella lot of wear this coming season. 

5. Clarins Brow Palette: €41 On Counter

Should Mr Bond, James Bond ever be in need of a brow palette, I can categorically say that Clarins is the one he'd be packing. A redesign of the cult favourite, this handy little kit has everything you could ever want, bar a Thumbelina threader.  

Housed in signature Clarins heavyweight packaging, there's nothing about this brow palette that wouldn't make the most beautiful present you could gift to a brow savvy friend. I've been sailing on the crest of eyebrow heaven following a recent thread & tint but the miniature spooley for wax and tweezers for strays have been put to the test and passed with flying colours. It's just a gorgeous piece of kit. (Also, the word brow now means nothing to me.. brow..brow..brow.. NOTHING) 

6. Charlotte Tilbury Penelope Pink: €30 Here

It's true I'm a lover of coffee coloured lippies, so my initial thoughts on beige leaning Penelope Pink were that we'd be friends. I was right. Very right. This soft toned neutral is as flattering a nude as I've worn, mostly due its warm undertones. 

There's something very special about the formulations of these K.I.S.S.I.N.G lippies and I'd tell you what that were, if it weren't a secret ingredient or if, yaknow, I knew. Suffice to say my lips were hydrated and comfortable for the 90 minutes it took for this soft, neutral tone to wear away. I was very afraid that I'd love these lipsticks, again I was very right. Bye bye budget. 

7. Vichy Normaderm Night: €14.24 Here

As with all skincare products on Things I'm Trialling, I can only give you an initial impression of Vichy Normaderm Night Detox but chungfella, Adam, will be giving me his review to join with my own in a couple of weeks. 

Designed to target the overnight production of sebum and purify the skin while we sleep, we've been fighting over using Normaderm night since we both used it once. So much so that it's now kept on the landing window sill, halfway between our rooms for use at night. In just a week my pores seems reduced, and my skin fresher on waking. Adam reports that the 'tightness' on his jawline (his troublesome area) is gone and his face feels 'softer'. Sounds seriously promising, right? 

8. Aveda Shampure Body Lotion: €29.95 Here

Lovers of Aveda's signature Shampure scent will know exactly what to look forward to with this lightweight, beautifully fragranced lotion. 25 flower and plant essences make this body cream a boon for nourishing the skin and relaxing the senses. Though skin is left peachy soft post application, it truly is the fragrance that sets Shampure apart. A little touch of luxe that I'll definitely be buying for loved ones to enjoy. That's how much I've enjoyed just one week using it. 

And that's the end of that chapter *flicks scarf over shoulder*. Be sure to check out this weeks sneak Insta peek at Things I'm Trialling This Week  and lemme know if you're loving any of the above? Sharing is Ult caring, right? 

Christmas Markets In Vienna - The Imperial City at Christmas Time

Christmas Markets!!

The best time to book Christmas markets is July/August as that’s usually when the airlines have a sale for travel dates from October through March.

Lots of people recommend using skyscanner.ie to find the cheapest flights but personally I love bravofly.com as you also get a little grid telling you what dates would be cheaper than your chosen dates.

When travelling to Christmas markets I highly recommend going on the first weekend they are open, usually the last weekend in November, this ensures you miss the huge crowds and you’ll also get a better deal on flights & hotels.

Rathaus - Town Hall

Vienna is one of the most magical places to visit the Christmas markets as they have many many years of experience & really know how to add the wow factor. 

We flew direct to Vienna and paid €140 each return with Aer Lingus. We took advantage of their sale to get this reduced rate.

Christmasmarkets.com has a wealth of information about markets all over Europe, so that’s where I went to find a hotel near the city centre, which is always the market centre. 

We eventually decided to treat ourselves & chose the 5* Flemings Deluxe Hotel Wein-City at €170pp for 2 nights B&B.

Fleming’s Deluxe – Beware of the showers!

At check-in we were asked if we were together to which I replied, yes of course we are....WRONG answer! When we got to the room it was clear to see he was asking if we were together together. 

There were two single beds pushed together to make a double & a glass box in the middle of the floor that housed the shower. Ahhh now you’re thinking it probably has that electrical smart glass thingy going on where when you close the shower door it frosts over....eh no.

(Sue Here: I managed to get to the Front Page of Reddit with my version of this pic, all was not lost (apart from my eyesight))

Shower anyone?!

Overall the hotel is nice but certainly not 5* by Irish standards. The breakfast was fresh & had a huge selection to choose from, including smoked salmon. The location of the hotel was superb just around the corner from the Town Hall & metro station which connects you to the whole of Vienna.

Daytime shopping!

There are about 25 different Christmas markets dotted all around Vienna. You can get maps to all of these on Chirtmasmarkets.com. The best thing to do is print them off before you go. 

Most of these are little markets of about 5-10 stalls around the city streets. We visited most of them as we were rambling around for the day. Our favourite ones were...

Some of the traditional gingerbread on offer at a market stall

Rathausplatz market: This is the largest market, it consists of about 150 stalls selling all sorts of traditional wooden decorations, schnitzels & mulled wine. The Rathaus windows are converted into an advent calendar & the windows open throughout December. The smells are amazing!

Schonbrunn Palace (also a zoo here), Belvedere Palace, Karlsplatz & Spittelberg are also other markets worth a visit.

Prater Christmas Market

Prater is an old amusement park in Vienna easily accessed via the metro. We saved this till last so we could ride the old ferris wheel in the dark & see the twinkling Christmas lights of the market below. 

We didn’t pay into the amusement park as most of it was closed for the season but we did pay onto the ferris wheel €9pp. It was worth it for the wonderful views over the rooftops.

View of the market from the Ferris Wheel

Back down in the market there is free live music every Thursday to Saturday to really get you on the festive spirit. You can choose from the multitude of stalls selling mulled wine with or without a shot of brandy. 

It was here that we found white mulled wine, a superb drink that was exactly like warm alcoholic marzipan in a glass. We had many of these, sure it’d be rude not to!

Have you been to Vienna? Any hints or tips you can share?!

We've just booked our trip for this year to Cologne, so if you've been there, we'd love to hear from you too!

Monday's Moments: 22/09/14

I know a lot won't agree with me but Monday is easily one of my favourite days of the week. I attribute that party to these very Moments, they make me appreciate the small things and show gratitude, regardless of what's going on. The fact that I no longer have to work Mondays, thanks to this little site is the weekly gift that keeps on giving too. 

Without further ado, here are the Moments that make this Monday just as kick ass as all the ones that have gone before: 

1. The First Monday That Both Lads Head to College & School. Cue 1 Hour Silent Snooze

2. Christmas Markets in Cologne - BOOKED!

3.Bórd Fáilte & Waterford TIO RTing Our Waterford Post Leading To A Huge Follower Spike

4. Spending An Entire Evening Event Hopping With Team Fluffy

5. Delivering Mam's Latest Batch of Preemie Hats to The Coombe & Basking In Her Reflected Glory

Tell me, what's making your Monday? 

4 Days with the Doctor

So, it's been 2 episodes since my last look at the new Doctor, and honestly I still have no opinion on him at all - that seems to be the most apt description of my feelings towards him so far.

Robot of Sherwood:

This episode had me say one thing afterwards that I never thought I would about a TV show - it was FUN. I've always loved Robin Hood as a character, so seeing him played as a small screen equivalent of Cary Elwes' Men In Tights Robin was brilliant.

I was a bit eh coming into this due to it being the stereotypical Doctor Who filler episode like that cowboy one that are usually bad, but way too quick for my liking I found myself laughing at everything and hoping for more Robin and Doctor scenes. The arguments between the two were hilarious and for once I got a true Doctor feeling from Capaldi.

The story has some ridiculous points and the Doctor's doubt grated on me a bit, but that's how he is and it felt well performed. Some scenes were brilliant, and the script is pretty great making it truly fun, exciting and a little cheesy - what I really miss from the Russell T. Davies era.

Even for it being the second episode in four to feature robots for some reason, this has by far been my favourite episode since the Day of the Moon or A Good Man Goes To War  episodes of Season 6.

Listen:

Following up the brilliance that was Robot of Sherwood would be a big act, and Listen did pretty damn well considering. Now, while it didn't interest me much, it did have a bit more of an insight into Danny Pink's life and the way it was written felt really Timey-Wimey Travelly-Wavelly - even if the TARDIS can be powered by anyone's thoughts now..

I felt the story is a bit too slow to start to really drag you in, but the implications could be HUGE! The episode begins with a monologue about the thing listening to you when you talk alone that you only see in the corner of your eye - remind you of any certain The Scream lookalikes eh? And thank GOD for once this story actually completes itself in a neat little loop - it felt pretty fantastic!

I feel Capaldi took a step back from his performance in Robot of Sherwood with this, he wasn't particularly funny or interesting, more of the attempt at menacing he's been trying since Enter the Dalek. However, Carla was pretty sassy (for want of a better word), recalling why I loved later Amy - taking no messing from anyone INCLUDING the Doctor.

Things That Rustle My Jimmies

Deeep breaths, post the gifs, chuckle at the gifs, feel the sweet release. Screw you, jimmie rustlers, screw you!

1. Getting the Lift With Someone 

Just Off Their Smoke Break

2. When Someone Suddenly Decides 

to Make a Toast

3. Parents That Drive Able Bodied 

Teenagers to School 

4. The Blue Screen of Death

5. Not Knowing Where The Loos Are At Events

See? Instant unrustling, instant calm.

Tell us, what's been rustling your jimmies this week then?